abc7 health and science reporter carolyn johnson has more. >> when irene medina returned to high school this fall she had plenty of stories to tell about her summer job. >> i did my first surgery in iraq. it was interesting and exciting for me. >> instead of flipping burgers , she was helping researchers at ucsf understand brain function. it is helping newborn infants survive brain traumas and other injuries. >> i started thinking, what they are doing is something great. >> across the bay at the university of california, they were doing great science too working on a study that could some day help human muscles regenerate. >> we saw improved muscle regeneration, actually. it was interesting. >> the path into these high end labs began with internship programs from the california institute of regenerative medicine. once in the program they are assigned mentors to gather them in real life lab assignments. >> they get down to the genetic level and cellular level, and they really understand that their specific part of the project including the literature. >> the grants help fund internships